Baked Double Dark Chocolate Raspberry Donuts {paleo + gluten free + dairy free}

Baked double dark chocolate raspberry donuts are the healthy donut recipe that you’ve been waiting for! Made with gluten free and grain free flours and naturally sweetened, these baked donuts are super chocolatey and so delicious! Don’t have a donut pan? I’ve got you covered! I’m also sharing a few tips below to make homemade donuts without a donut pan! Gluten free, paleo, and dairy free.

Ohh oh ohhh. Is there anything better than biting into a super chocolatey raspberry studded donut?

Maybe only if it’s homemade, gluten free, grain free, AND dairy free!

And here’s the thing – making homemade healthy donuts from scratch really isn’t as hard as it sounds. With the right tips, tools, and ingredients, you will be enjoying your homemade donuts in no time.

They are perfect for any special occasion, but healthy enough for a treat any day of the week!

Hot tip: if you’re looking for bonus points with your co-workers these donuts are a healthy alternative to bringing store bought donuts to work! 😉

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How to bake perfect double dark chocolate raspberry donuts

If you’ve never made homemade donuts before, making the perfect dark chocolate homemade donuts really is easier than it might sound. Really no harder than baking a batch of muffins or cupcakes. The trick is to use a donut pan instead of a muffin tin, and use high quality ingredients.

The donut pan is filled with the batter just the same as you would fill a muffin tin, and then baked and glazed with a decadent homemade chocolatey glaze.

I tested this recipe just shy of a million times to make sure that everything about it was on point (I am that virgo!), and that they stayed moist and tender even after stored on the counter for a few days.

Here’s how to make these gluten free + paleo dark chocolate donuts:

Step one – how to make the donut batter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating up, make the batter.

Like just about any cupcake or donut recipe, the dry ingredients are combined in a separate bowl from the wet ingredients. This is to make sure the all of the ingredients (especially the rising agent and cacao powder) is evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Here’s how you do it:

First things first, you’ll want to melt your chocolate and set it aside to cool slightly. The easiest way to do this is in the microwave, but you could also use a double boiler on the stove top. After the chocolate is melted, do the same with your coconut oil or ghee – but make sure to keep them separate as they’re added at different points in the recipe.

In the first large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients – almond flour, cassava flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and sea salt. 

In a second bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and melted coconut oil. This can be done by hand or using a stand mixer. 

Next mix in the melted chocolate until well combined. Then add the eggs, almond milk, and vanilla, continuing to whisk until smooth. 

Now you can slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth and thoroughly combined. The batter will thicken slightly as it sits.

Slightly crush the dried raspberries as you measure to make sure there’s no huge pieces. This will ensure that the texture of the donuts remains uniform. Stir the crushed dried raspberries into the donut batter and set aside. 

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Step two – how to fill your donut pan

There’s a couple different ways you can fill your donut pan. But before you start you’ll want to grease it with some melted coconut oil, ghee, or avocado oil to keep the donuts from sticking. This avocado oil spray is a healthy bakers best friend.

Once your pan is greased, you can either fill each donut cavity using a spoon, or you can pipe the batter in using a homemade DIY piping bag or a frosting piping bag.

It’s actually really super easy to make a DIY piping bag – all you need is a ziploc bag and a pair of scissors.

To make a DIY piping bag transfer the batter to a large ziploc bag, and then cut off just the very tip of one of the corners, from which you can squeeze the batter neatly into the donut pan. This is a great video tutorial on how to turn a ziploc bag into a piping bag.

Important tip for filling your donut pan: only fill to just before the top of the pan. Otherwise the batter may rise too high and close around the donut hole. If this happens, you can always just roll with it (it won’t change the taste – just the aesthetic!), or you can use a small sharp knife to trim away any excess from the middle of the donut.

But what if you don’t have a donut pan?

If you want to invest in a donut pan, this is the one that I use and recommend.

But if you don’t want to invest in a donut pan, fear not! There’s a few options for making this recipe without any donut pan at all.

Option #1: Bake these homemade donuts as cupcakes!

This batter actually also makes delicious chocolatey + moist cupcakes. The only difference is that you’ll have to lengthen the baking time to 20-22 minutes. It still makes 12 servings. They can be glazed with the same simply chocolatey glaze or frosted with your favorite frosting & topped with freeze dried raspberries!

Option #2: Make a DIY donut pan hack using aluminum foil

I did a little bit of research on how to DIY a donut pan and found some interesting ideas. I tested a few of the methods out and found THIS ONE to be have the best result.

To use the aluminum foil hack you will need a muffin tin. A regular sized muffin tin will make mini donuts, and an extra large sized muffin tin will make regular sized donuts.

To use this method you take a piece of tinfoil, about 6×6 inches or a little larger, and create the same shape that a donut tin has, and press it into the muffin tin cavity. Check out this video for super easy to follow instructions on how to do this. Make sure you grease the tinfoil the same way you would grease a donut pan to keep the donut from sticking.

Step three – how to bake the donuts

Bake the donuts at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean – about 15-18 minutes.

Remove from the oven and and allow to cool slightly before removing from the tray. Remove donuts carefully, as they can be a little bit delicate when they’re still warm. Running a flexible rubber spatula around the edges of the donut can make it easier to release. 

Quickly wash the pan before re-greasing and baking the second batch. Since this recipe makes 12 donuts, you will need to bake in 2 batches if you have a 6 cavity donut pan.

Allow donuts to cool completely before glazing. 

Step four – how to glaze the donuts

Once the donuts have cooled, it’s time for the fun part – glazing and decorating them!

Start by melting the dark chocolate for the glaze with coconut oil. Allow to cool slightly so it thickens just a little bit.

Dunk each donut in the chocolate and transfer to a lined surface. Immediately top with crumbled freeze dried raspberries. Glaze will set in about 30-45 minutes at room temp, or you can speed up the process by moving the glazed donuts into the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.

Step five – EAT THE DONUTS!

Time for that first bite feeling. Need I say anymore? 😝

What ingredients do you need for these baked double dark chocolate raspberry donuts?

These donuts are made with 100% real food good-for-you ingredients. They are gluten free, grain free, paleo friendly, and dairy free. Which makes them a healthy chocolatey indulgence that is kind to your body!

The real food ingredients are:

• Almond flour – A healthy grain free flour alternative that’s made from ground almonds. Incredibly nutritious and rich in vitamins and minerals. My favorite brands are Trader Joe’s, Thrive Market, and Bob’s Red Mill.
• Cassava flour – This grain free flour is a super versatile flour made from the cassava root. It’s actually the same plant that is used for tapioca starch. However, cassava flour is flour made from the whole root, and tapioca starch is a processed product that is much higher in starch. Cassava flour is still high in carbohydrates, though.. The two cannot be used interchangeably. My favorite brands are Let’s Do Organic, Thrive Market, and Otto’s Cassava Flour.
• Cacao powder – Real cacao powder (not cocoa powder) is typically made from from un-roasted / cold pressed cacao beans. It’s high in magnesium and other essential minerals. Real cacao has also shown to boost mood and lower stress! Yay chocolate! My favorite brands are Terrasoul and Navitas.
• Maple syrup – One of my favorite natural sweeteners that also contains some essential minerals! Many parts of the United States have a local supply of maple syrup. Buy it close to home if you can to support your local economy. If you can’t find a local source, this brand is one of my go-to’s.
• Coconut oil – A nourishing dairy free fat that can be substituted 1:1 for any type of fat in baking or cooking. There’s so many amazing brands out there but I usually buy mine at Thrive Market.
• Dark chocolate – For this recipe it’s important to use high quality dark chocolate so that it melts smooth and silky. I love Theo Chocolate, or for a truly paleo dark chocolate Hu Kitchen Gems are where it’s at – they are sweetened only with coconut sugar and soy free. They can be purchased on Amazon or Thrive Market.
• Non dairy milk – I used almond milk for this recipe, but any type of non dairy milk should work.
• Vanilla – I’m not going to sugar coat it, vanilla extract is expensive! Which is why I ALWAYS buy mine from Thrive Market or Amazon. It’s like $4 cheaper for a 4 ounce bottle at each place. When you bake a lot, this savings really adds up!
• Dehydrated raspberries – Dehydrated raspberries make a perfect (and colorful!) addition to baked goods. Most grocery stores have a freeze dried fruit section, but if you can’t find it in stores you can order them online. I love this brand.

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A few notes on the recipe

Can I use a different type of fruit for these donuts?

Yes absolutely! I have also tested the recipe with dehydrated strawberries and they turned out delicious. Freeze dried blueberries would also be so good.

Can I use fresh raspberries for this recipe?

I would not recommend it. Because the water content of fresh raspberries is so much higher it would likely throw off the proportions of the recipe. If you want to bake a healthy donut with fresh raspberries, you can check out my recipe for vanilla grain free raspberry donuts!

What do I do if I don’t have a donut pan?

Option #1: Bake these homemade donuts as cupcakes!

This batter actually also makes delicious chocolatey + moist cupcakes. The only difference is that you’ll have to lengthen the baking time to 20-22 minutes. It still makes 12 servings. They can be glazed with the same simply chocolatey glaze or frosted with your favorite frosting & topped with freeze dried raspberries!

Option #2: Make a DIY donut pan hack using aluminum foil

I did a little bit of research on how to DIY a donut pan and found some interesting ideas. I tested a few of the methods out and found THIS ONE to be have the best result.

To use the aluminum foil hack you will need a muffin tin. A regular sized muffin tin will make mini donuts, and an extra large sized muffin tin will make regular sized donuts.

To use this method you take a piece of tinfoil, about 6×6 inches or a little larger, and create the same shape that a donut tin has, and press it into the muffin tin cavity. Check out this video for super easy to follow instructions on how to do this. Make sure you grease the tinfoil the same way you would grease a donut pan to keep the donut from sticking.

How to store these baked double dark chocolate raspberry donuts

These donuts can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days. To store them longer, stash them in the fridge for up to a week! Bring them back to room temperature for the best texture.

Make sure to tag me @nyssas_kitchen on Instagram and comment below if you make these Baked Double Dark Chocolate Raspberry Donuts. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!

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